Snow-melter for manholes or sewer-pipes.



T. MGGILL. SNOW MELTER FOR MANHOLES 0R SEWER PIPES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 19. 1910.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

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THOMAS MQGILL, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SNOW-1VIELTER FOR MANHOLES OR SEWER-PIPES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS MCGILL, a citizenof the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSnow-Melters for Manholes or Sewer-Pipes, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in snow melting apparatus, theobject of the invention being to provide an improved means forpermitting of the ready disposal of snow that accumulates upon roadways.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevationof a sewer manhole with my improved apparatus in place therein. Fig. 2is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line wm Fig. 1,looking down. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of thedevice as shown in Fig. 1, with the parts in a different position. Fig.5 is a similar view taken at right angles to the position of the partsshown in Fig. 1, also showing said parts in a different osition, or, inother words, in the position shown in Fig. 4.

1 represents a street level; 2 represents the wall of a manhole leadingdown to a sewer.

In the cleaning of streets, it is sometimes customary to open sewermanholes and to push the snow from the street into the sewer.

' This, however, is exceedingly objectionable owing to the fact that thesolid mass of snow entering the sewer tends to choke and clog the same.It is my purpose to make this method of disposal of the snow possibleand practical by the employment of an improved means whereby the snow,so disposed of, is melted prior to delivery into the sewer proper. Tothat end, my apparatus, in its preferred form, is constructedsubstantially as shown in the drawings, and includes what I will termthe mainframe or backbone 3, which preferably is in the form of a tubeso that it may perform the double function of a backbone, or mountingfor the various elements, as well as a vent to allow of the es cape ofgases from the sewer in the immediate vicinity of said manhole duringthe process of disposing of the snow. This backbone 3 is provided nearits upper end with a spider-like bracket 4 of any suitable form, butwhich, in the form shown, comprises a frame suitably adapted to fit uponthe top border of the manhole to thereby Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed November 19, 1910.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Serial No. 593,132.

support the backbone 3 and the associated parts. At or near the lowerend of the tubular backbone 3 are a plurality of gates 55 6-6. Thesegates are preferably connected to the backbone by hinges, or the like.In use these gates are elevated to the position shown in Fig. 1 so as toclose the lower part of the manhole to a suflicient extent to supportany snow pushed into the manhole opening. These gates are perforated, orslotted, to permit water to drip through into the sewer as the snow ismelted. Any suitable heating appartus may be inserted into the manhole,for example, a steam pipe 7. As shown, the steam pipe 7 is coiled aroundthe vent pipe 3 to provide a large heating area, and preferabl the lowerend of the steam pipe is provlded with a number of perforations topermit steam jets to be ejected to strike the body of the snow at apoint just above the gates 5--6 to hasten the melting. Theseperforations also permit circulation of the steam and the escape ofanycondensation in the pipe 7.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there is nothing that projectsabove the surface of the street that will tend to retard or renderdifficult the introduction of the snow into the manhole opening. It islikewise apparent that any snow pushed into the o ening will settle uponand be supportec by the gates 5--6, so that said snow will come intodirect and intimate contact with the heater and become thereby melted.Any steam or gases generated are readily liberated by the open ventthrough the backbone 3. Any suitable means may be provided forcollapsing the gates, provided, indeed, it is important that the sameshould be collapsed. WVhere, as shown, the gates are hinged, they may beoperated by chains 8-8 which lead up to the top of the apparatus wherethey can be readily handled. As shown, four gates are employed, twogates 55 being hinged so as to fold up, as shown in Fig. 5, and twogates 66 being hinged so as to swing down, as shown in Fig. 4. Theadvantage of employing collapsible gates is found where the apparatus isadapted to manholes which have flaring walls as they proceed downwardly.In such a manhole, it is obvious that in order to properly cut off themanhole at the lower part, the gates must be of appropriate size topractically fill the space from wall to wall.

Inasmuch as this space is greater than the opening at the surface of thestreet, the gates must be so constructed that when it is desired toinsert or remove the apparatus, they will not prevent the passage of theapparatus into the narrowest part of the manhope opening. Ordinarily,manholes are made of a standard design, hence, a single apparatus may bereadily applied to a large number of manholes.

It will be observed that the upper end of the tubular backbone 3, orvent, projects preferably sufficiently above the street surface 1 toprevent the snow from being pushed into said tube through which it mightdescend into the sewer in an unmelted state. Although only acomparatively small quantity could thus find its way into the sewer, itis preferable that the entire mass should first be melted.

I wish to have it distinctly understood that in a broad sense theparticular means for operating the gates, and, indeed, the particularconstruction of said gates, is immaterial, likewise, it is alsoimmaterial what form of heater is employed to melt the snow since anysuitable heating apparatus, best adapted to the conditions where thesnow melter is to be employed, may be adopted, although in the drawingsand in the previous description I have endeavored to show and outline apreferred construction. As shown the bracket 4: is preferably adjustableup and down on the backbone 3, the same being secured thereon in anysuitable way as by set-screws 4*. One advantage of making the bracketadjustable is that it enables the position of the gates 5 and 6 to beshifted to best adapt them to the diameter of the tapered manhole 2.

What I claim is:

1. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of saidbackbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carriedthereby.

. 2. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of saidbackbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carriedthereby, said snow supporting means being collapsible.

3. In a snow melt-ing apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of saidbackbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carriedthereby, said snow supporting means being made in sections, each sectionbeing hinged to the backbone.

4. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of saidbackbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carriedthereby, said heating means comprising a steam pipe.

5. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of saidbackbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carriedthereby, said heating means comprising a steam pipe, the lower end ofsaid pipe extending to a point near said snow supporting means and beingprovided with one or more steam outlets in the vicinity of said snowsupporting means.

6. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a tubularbackbone eXtending from a point at or near the surface well down intothe manhole, a collapsible snow support, carried by said tubularbackbone near its lower end, means for collapsing said snow support,means at or near the upper end of said tubular backbone for resting uponthe upper end of the manhole to support said apparatus from above, and aheating means carried by said apparatus.

7. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of saidbackbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carriedthereby, and a vent passage.

8. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of saidbackbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carriedthereby, and a vent through said backbone.

9. In a snow melting apparatus for use in sewer manholes, a backboneelement, means carried thereby for supporting the same at the manholeopening, snow supporting means at or near the lower end of said backbone, and heating means associated with said parts and carried thereby,and a vent passage, said vent extendlngabove the upper end of saidmanhole.

THOMAS McGILL.

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. PEARDY, IDA M. HUNZIKER.

